Trump: US Will Take the Strait and Run It; UPDATE: Trump Reimposes Iran Blockade

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Trump is fed up with Iran. Shockingly, it turns out that the IRGC and the Ayatollahs aren't trustworthy enough to make deals with. 

Shocking, I know. 

Over the past few days, the United States has gone from tit-for-tat strikes in response to Iranian potshots at ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz back to full-scale bombing that has been devastating not just military targets but key strategic assets that help sustain the regime. 

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The latest round of fighting was sparked by Iran's attack on three ships transiting the Strait using the Omani southern route, with one sailor apparently killed. Iran reasserted that it had sole control over the Strait, triggering retaliatory strikes from the United States. 

In response, Iran sent drones and missiles at neighboring Gulf countries, finally exhausting Trump's patience. 

Trump had already declared that the cease-fire (of sorts) was over and that the MOU was done, but left the door open for negotiations to continue. But in the meantime, the United States is pounding the crap out of Iranian targets, including leadership bunkers, missile cities well within Iran, and even some of the infrastructure associated with Tehran's only nuclear plant, although the plant itself was left untouched. 

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The United States is using airstrikes, cruise missiles, and now HIMARS systems to strike targets within Iran, causing massive damage to Iranian capabilities. 

Trump has mused in the past about taking over the Strait of Hormuz and becoming its "guardian angel," but his recent statements to Fox News may be more than idle speculation, although with Trump you may never be certain. 

What is certain is that he appears to have recommitted to prosecuting the war. Not only has his rhetoric, which is always hyperbolic, escalated, but the United States is now targeting IRGC leaders again. Unconfirmed reports claim that the IRGC commander Ahmad Wahidi was killed in strikes last night. 

If so, that would be huge. 

There's lots of other Iran news that has broken over the weekend, including a New York Times investigation revealing that former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a high-value asset for Israel.

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More on that later today. 

UPDATE: Trump reimposes blockade, upping the pressure. Iran has nearly a billion dollars of oil approaching China. Theoretically that oil could be intercepted, although it would be highly inflammatory given China's role as a possible intermediary. 

BREAKING: Trump Reimposes Naval Blockade on Iran, Announces U.S. Will Charge Ships Transiting Strait of Hormuz

“President Donald Trump announces that the United States is reinstating a naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping and will begin charging commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington will become the “guardian” of the strategic waterway.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the Strait “will remain open, with or without Iran,” adding that the renewed blockade applies only to Iranian ships and customers while all other nations will continue to have access.

He also announced the United States will charge a 20% fee on cargo transiting the Strait, describing it as reimbursement for providing security in one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.”

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I'm pretty sure that Trump's announcement of a 20% fee on ships transiting the Strait is an attempt to pressure other countries to clamp down on Iran, because that fee is outrageous—significantly higher than anything Iran is charging. Then again, this is Trump. 

It's a terrible idea if he really tries to implement it. After all this talk of international waterways, it would be impressively hypocritical to turn around and charge a massive fee. 

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